Lawn planting machine



l March 3, 1959 w. H. NEFF l LAWN PLANTING MACHINE Original Filed July 25, 1951.

2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 lOa JA@ Q4@ F/G. 2A.

Summon WILLIAM H. NEFF,

` March 3, 1959 w. H. NEFF LAWN PLANTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 25, 1951 United States Patent O LAWN PLANUNG MAcmNE william n. Neff, sauvLake city, Utah Original application July 25, 1951, Serial No. 238,419, now Patent No. 2,733,838, dated February 7, 1956. Divided and this application October 31, 1955, Serial No. 543,961

1 Claim. V(Cl. 275-2) This invention relates to power machines for'planting lawns, and is concerned particularly with providing a machine which will distribute fertilizer, grass seed, and compost sequentially in desired relative proportions, and which will simultaneously compact the soil and applied materials.

The present application constitutes a division of my co-pendmg and presently allowed applications Serial No. 238,419, now Patent No. 2,733,838 issued February 7, 1956, which is, itself, a continuation in part of my allowed co-pending application S. N. 700,700, filed Oct. 2, 1946, and now forfeited.

A principal object of the invention is to provide for mechanically carrying out all the operations normal to the plantmg of new lawns, in a properly integrated manner which is subject to precise control and which is, therefore, far more accurate and economical than Vthe usual manual method of lawn planting.

An object is to provide such a machine which shall be i capable of complete operation and control by a single operator.

A further object is to insure substantially uniform mechanical dissemination of seed and of chemical fertilizer, especially, so as to attain proper relative propor tions for optimum lawn coverage and growth, and so as to eliminate danger of chemical burning of the new grass, as well as waste of expensive seed and fertilizer.

lIn accomplishing these objects, I prefer to utilize a dispensing and distributing device forming the subject of my co-pending application for patent S. N. 149,237, tiled March 13, 1950, entitled Dispensing and Distributing Device for Finely Divided Materials, now U. S. Patent No. 2,643,798, issued lune 30, 1953, together with an arrangement of hoppers `and motivating means which effect the results sought. y

The machine of the invention advantageously takes the form of a self-propelled vehicle provided with suitable operational controls, such as steering mechanism, brakes, motor, transmission, and clutch. Nevertheless, the machine may be constructed in the form of a trailer arranged to be hitched to a suitable power unit, such as a farm tractor.

An outstanding combinational feature of the invention is the provision of a front to rear extending series of hoppers for the materials to be applied during the lawn planting operation, inter-geared distributing mechanisms operably mounted longitudinally of the discharge openings of the respective hoppers, and separate discharge chutes leading downwardly from the respective distributing mechanisms, whereby the respective materials are individually distributed, and are deposited sequentially as distributed.

The distributing mechanisms associated with the hoppers intended to receive grass seed and chemical ferti lizer, respectively, are unique in their combination of interacting elongate rollers and substantially stationary, elongate reaction members, both covered with a pile material, usually and preferably a carpet-like material. I

have found that when a roller covered with such pile material rotates against a stationary reaction member covered with a similar material, a very uniform and highly'satisfactory dissemination of either grass seed or dry chemical fertilizer is achieved.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the particular preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents an elevation of the left side of a self-propelled machine embodying the novel features of the invention, the machine being shown in the act of planting a lawn;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary elevation of the right side ofthe machine, showing drive gearing between the traction roller and the several material-distributing rollers;

Fig. 3, a rear elevation of the machine;

Fig. 4, a top plan view of the machine, drawn to a reduced scale and eliminating much of the drive and control mechanism;

Fig. 5, a longitudinal vertical section, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3 and drawn to a considerably enlarged scale; and v Fig. 6, a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. y

Referring to the drawings: The machine as a whole is illustrated somewhat schematically in Figs. l, 3, and 4. It comprises, in the illustrated form, a chassis framework 10, advantageously made up of structural steel members welded together, and a hopper structure 11 supported by and extending through and somewhat below such framework. p

At the forward and narrowed end 10a of the chassis framework, a steering column 12 extends upwardly in convenient proximity to a seat 13 surmounting the hopper structure 11. A steering wheel 14 is xed to the upper end of a shaft (not shown), which extends through and is journaled within the column 12, and a gear 15,` fixed to the lower end of theshaft, meshes with a sector gear 16 ixed to the top of a forked mounting 17 for a front compaction rolle-r 18. The roller -18,.thus, serves to steer the machine under the control of a driver, who.

sits on the seat 13 and manipulates the steeringwheel 14.

An engine 19 of any conventional type, preferably gasoline powered, is mounted on the chassis 10 within an external alcove 20 provided by suitably congurating the hopper structure 11, see Fig. 4, and serves to drive a rear tractor and compaction roller 21 through reduction pulleys and belting 22 and forward and reverse gears 23.: A sprocket drive 24, Fig. 1, directly connects the output shaft of the gear box 23 with the rear roller 21, anda, clutch 25 is interposed in the drive shaft 26, Fig. 3, be-V tween the engine and reduction gearing 22.

Brake mechanism 27, Fig. 1, is operably arranged with respect to a brake drum 28 secured to the rear roller 21, and is manually controlled by the driver by i A gear shift lever 33, acting through link mechanism 34, enables the driver to shift the gears 23 from forward to reverse, and vice versa, at will.

The hopper structure 11 is divided into two forwardly disposed and relatively small compartments 35 and 36, Fig. 5, for dry chemical fertilizer and grass seed, respec7 tively, and into a relatively large rearwardA compartmentv 37 for compost. The two forward compartments 35 gravante and 36 open forwardly of the machine, for the introduction of the respective materials, and are closed in com! mon by a hinged cover 38, while the rearward compartment 31 .comprehends the greater peri ofV themachine.

iistoriopen. Suchopeningeeing relative f in, area. so-h that1 compost may, be loadedl exped1tiously. ltlshouwld benotedthatthe forward, Wall,y of. the compost compartment 37 advantageously overhangs the fertilizer, and seed compartments. andf36, so asv to` aord protectionfrom the, weather, additional to that provided by the cover 38,

Each'of the hoppers 35, 36, and 37 has aY lower portion which converges to dene an elongate discharge openingiextending; transyersely ofthe machine. In the illfutrat'edinetancethe homers-3.5. and. 36. have. bottom walls.. 3.9 ler.1d..40, respectiyellgr. 5. which have. 1eerective forward lips ofkconcavely arcuate formation, facirigainictiorly-oi. the hopper.v directly defining discharge openings 41t`and, 42, respectiyely. The hopper 37. has th'e lower marginof its.1fearwall4 bent forwardly, asA at 37a, and the lower edgeJ thereof similarly, formed to directly. dene discharge opening. 43.-

Tllc.. discharge openingetl and. 4.2` are further defined. by stationary reaction portions of the respectiye distribufor mechanisms described hereinafter.

In the illustrated` embodiment of the invention, these reaction portions each comprise an elongate reaction piate 4 4 pivoted at ,4 5 totherhoppenso as to be swingable toward and away from the interior of the hopper. Such. reactionV4 plate 44 isnormally urged toward the interiorof theihcgpperby means of a series of springs,

encircling .respective bolts 46 1 and,` bearing, against au clot-gatek lbracket member. 47 secured to the adjacent hopper wall v The. remainder of" eachV distributor mechanism comprises a distributing cylinder 48 rotatably mountedlonf gitudinally. of and overthe discharge opening either 41.01' 42jas the case mayl bev-. on oppositely extending stub shafts 48 zzt F igs. 1 andZ, which.V are iournaled in the wallsof the hopper. i I

ForK thel purposefofeffecting. a uniform. and controlled distributionof grass seed or dry chemicalfertilizer, the operating surfaces of both the cylinder 43 and the reactionA plate 44.a re covered witha pile material, indicated 4 9van'd` 5,0,- respectively. As shown, such material is av pile fabric'materialrof the nature of carpeting, specically a twistfweave.woolbroadloom, though otherY pile materials may be employed, asw will appear hereinafter.

Since thereactionfplete 4 4is `normally urged inwardly by, Springe.. 4.6. the.. Soft and ilexible pile covering d thereof.' 'ie .forceebly pressed, into. closev engagement with the., pile. caverna, 42 of the, distributing, cylinder. Ae,- Coidiisly. rotation ofi the. distributing cylinder 4.8 with rgepectothe r tentiallyctetionery reecfionrlcte 44- I .W` e. direction as. iadicetedb'y the appended agrrpwsn "ig, 5,-,.-effects a brushing actionzof the Iaterial to be distriblutved",- along the individual piles of the stationary covering 50;*whichresults in uniform and controlled distribution of either the nely divided dry chem, a1. fertilizer or of the small and elongate grass seeds, as wllras thewin'termixed small and round clover seeds, from the hopper.

1Mb@ .fom il,.Il .letriltedVv ille curvature ofthel lower lire opperlbottoms 39and 40 is concentric withA the Y utipgkcylillfle, and the.cylinders are positioned so,that the pile coverings thereof wipe closely against the inner surfaces of the lips, thereby providing maximumsclosure afeanfor; thes nona discharging Sides Of the respective dischargesopenings.

The discharge opening 43.'. of; the compost, hopper 37 isfffurther.- defined byfa. resiliently .urged reaction; plate Slesimilar to` the plates144 and-similarlymounted. Such reactionplate- 5'1"l is, however, not provided-.with a.- pile.

but-witha relativelyfhard and smooth covering broad,

52 for coaction with a uted distributing cylinder 53 Whose surface is preferably hard and smooth.

The resilient mountings for the reaction plates of all three distributor mechanisms not only insure close surface engagement with the respective distributing cylinders at all times, but permit.l passage of oversize foreign objects which might be inadvertently mixed with the material being distributed. In.this connection, it is to be noted that thesof/tand exiblepile covering, itself, alords a certain amount of'leeway for the discharge of oversize foreign` objects, without` interferingV with controlled discharge of fertilizer on'seed. Furthermore such pile material: satisfactorily accommodates differences in sizes between individual seeds, particularly as between the grass and the clover seeds.

The several distributing cylinders, 48 and 53, are intergeared in appropriate drive relationships with each other and` with the rear traction roller 2 1, see Fig. 2.

Thus, a. sprocket wheel,5 4,o`f suitable diameter, is fixed. to the axle 55jjofthe traction-compaction roller 21.and`

is connectedjrby avsprocket chain, 56 with a sprocket Wheel 57 of suitable*relativeV diameter, iixed to aprotruding stub shaft 53--1' ofthe compost distributing cylinder 53,-. A second sprocket wheel 5,8, rted to thel same stub shaft 534-1, is connectedby a sprocket chain 5,9,with a sprocket wheel: 60, xed to a-.protruding stub shaft 48a of that distributing cylinder tIS'n/ hiclrisY associated with the seedcontaining hopper 36;l anda second sprocket Wheel 61, Xed' to saidstub shaft 48a, is connected by a sprockety chain 62. with a sprocket wheel. 63 fixed to a protruding stubshaft 48a of4 that distributing cylinder 48. Whichis associated with the fertilizer-containing hopper 35,

The relative diameters of the several sprocket wheels 54; 57, S8, 60; 61', and 63 determine the relative speeds atwhich the several distributing cylinders rotate with respect to the speed of' rotation of traction-compaction roller4 21; Quantitative distribution of the respective materialsistherefore governed,` as it should'be, in accordance with the speed of travel of the machine across thev area beingplanted: Different` relative cylinder speeds for any given speed of, travel of the machine may be obtained by replacing selectedV ones of" the several sprocket wheels4 with others ofdifferent diameters.

Forv the purpose of insuring proper feed of the compost in hopper 37l to the distributing mechanism thereof, a

rotatable agitator 64, Eig. 5, is provided, andis continu-` ouslyl operated during travelof the machine by means of a sprocketl wheelA and chainrdrive indicatedgenerally 65. in 1;

Such driye 65 takes itspower from the fluted, compost-distributing cylinder 53;

Invorder'to insure properA deposition ofthe respective materials being distributed, discharge chutes 66,' 67', and 68 are defined below andin materialereceiving communiation` with the discharge ropenings 41', 42l and 43, respectively; see Eig. l. These chutes are advantageously providedfby-detletion plates or-aps 69; whichndepend articula-tively from respective attachment, as by means ofv In the operation-ofl the machine, the forward roller 18- prepares-a smoothlycompaobbed-of soil for the-deposi-- ltion ofthe-respective materials; while the rear tractioncompaction` roller 2,1 serves to smoothly compact. the4 appliedllayers.l No rakingor other'treatment of the: soplantedlawn is--necessary nor desirable.

I prefent'o-makethe'- deflection platesr or.Y flaps 69, of i stilly lliexible` andt resilient material, such as appropriate lengths'ofV aheavy, industrial rubber, conveyor` belting,

so that they will give and return to position by the inherently articulative nature of the material if they hit any obstruction. Nevertheless, they may be plates of metal or other rigid material pivotally suspended in the desired positions.

While l have had excellent results using a wool, twistweave, broadloom carpeting material, having a pile approximately one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch in length, as the pile covering for both the cylinder and reaction plate of the fertilizer and seed distributor mechanisms, various other kinds of pile material may be employed with varying degrees of satisfaction in specic instances of use, so long as such material provides a soft and yielding mat of upstanding, closely set, flexible ngers. The machine will ordinarily include all three hoppers, as illustrated, but, in some instances, the compost may be spread independently. In such instances, only hoppers and distributor mechanism for fertilizer and seed need be provided. Furthermore, if desired at anytime, the drive mechanism may be so arranged that seed can be distributed from the forward hopper, and fertilizer from the hopper next in line.

It is contemplated that the machine of the invention will nd its greatest usefulness as a motorized unit, as illustrated, or as a trailer for pulling by a tractor. Nevertheless, the principles thereof are also applicable, as is obvious, to manually pushed or pulled machines.

In all forms of the machine, it is highly advantageous to provide a manually controlled clutch in the drive mechanism connecting the tractionroller with the distributor mechanism. This may be accomplished by the use of any suitable conventional clutch, for example, that shown schematically at 74, Figs. 2 and 3, as interposed between the axle 5S of the rear compaction roller 21 and the main drive sprocket 54, the same being controlled by a lever 75, Fig. 1, convenient to the drivers seat.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with respect to a particular preferred embodiment thereof it should be understood that various changes may be made therein and various other forms of the invention may be constructed on the basis of the teachings hereof, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the claim which follows.

What is claimed is:

In a machine for planting lawn having a series of supply hoppers extending from front to rear of the machine; traction means mounting said series of hoppers for travel over the ground; elongate discharge openings formed at the bottoms of the respective hoppers transversely of the machine, said discharge openings individually communicating with the interiors of the respective hoppers; material distributor mechanisms operably disposed within and along the discharge openings of respective hoppers; drive means for the respective distributor mechanisms, said drive means being intergeared with the said traction means; the improvement comprising a series of individual, mutually spaced, freely -hanging, stiff, and normally shape-retaining wall members of rubber material secured to and extending substantially coextensively and yieldably along lower portions of the respective hoppers, longitudinally marginal to the discharge openings thereof, and defining, with respect to said machine, a longitudinal series of transversely extending, independently yieldable chute vextensions for said hoppers, said wall members terminating short of the ground level of said traction means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 112,006 Aitchison Feb. 21, 1871 151,674 Wilkinson June 2, 1874 370,206 Montgomery Sept. 20, 1887 544,470 Thomas Aug. 13, 1895 1,515,987 Allison Nov. 18, 1924 1,903,874 Mills et al. Apr. 18, 1933 12,369,983 Rodli et al Feb. 20, 1945 2,733,838 Neff Feb. 7, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 151,578 Germany June 4, 1904 

